Latch device for folding doors.



J. S: KERN.

LATCH DEVICE FOR FOLDING DOORS.

APPLHZATION man act. 1:. I91?- 1 ,27 1 ,582. Patented July 9, 1918.

- 2 $"EETs-5HEET L J. S KERN.

LATCH DEVICE FOR FOLDING DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 11. 1911.

1 .27 1,582. Patented July 9, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W 2 steals r. Ewe-W091i masseuse es s vo i T0. r mw on METAL BODY COMPANY or; 'r EErwqo D, eEn sYLvanm.

ne'rcrr nnvren 150B Fopnnvc DOORS.

ama se- Specificatloii of Letters Patent.

Itrtcntcd y 19]?8 Applicationflle i Qctgber 11, 1917. Serial No. 195,953.

zcal wimm concern-,2

e it known tha ,1, as n elma, a

ofi' he. Unwed, States, r siding at El t- Wood, 1n. he. unty at Berk and: dtate. 0 Bennsyluanm. ha e inven or ont in new and useful ImprowimentsimI-idtdhDeuices for. Eold'ing Doors, ofiwhiclrthe io loaaing is a spec fication.

This invention relates to, a latch device for fielding,- doors.

The primanv. object oft this invention; isto provide a latch device 013 this. character whichis simple. and economicali-n construction and highly, efficient and conaenient in operation.

With the fnregoing rand other objects in view thatzwill appear as the nature-of-the inventionislbetter understood; the same con. sists in the novel features of construction, combination and. arrangement of-partsillustrated in the drawings, and morepanticu; lanlypointedout' in the appended1claims-..

Inthe accompanying dnawings Figure-1 is a plan view illustrating the application' of my invention- With the folding-door closed;

Figj Q-is a similar View. with the folding door partially. open.'

Fig; 3 is an outside elevation of the latch device, loolcin at right angles to Fig. 1, the car body and olding docs-indicated in dotted lines and only f ragmentaril'y.

Fig. 4g is an end view of the latch device in closed or locked position, parts'shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a similar View of thelatch device, showing the position of the hinged member just before-actuating or throwing: the latch lock, and Fig.6 is a vertical transverse section taken on the plane indicated by the dotted lines 66 of Fig. 41, looking.- in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings for a more particular description of the invention, and which drawings are for illustrative purposes only, and are therefore not drawn to scale, the device comprises a stationary member 1 and a movable member 2 which is hinged to the stationary member.

The stationary member 1 comprises a flat metal elongated bar 3 which is countersunk in a longitudinal recess 4 in one ed e of the frame 5 (which may be an au'wmobi as body) and; is. fastened in. place by, the fastening screws. 6 or. other equivalent means, r

The inner end of. the bay 3 is termed with an approximately rectangular. oblongv flange 011 abutment? which extends or pro ects be? w d; pposit ide edg s Of aid arend provides a stop or abutment for. thehinged member of the device when the. door is closed.

A latch bar 8 formed of. a thin Strip of spring steel or other, metal possessing the required spring. or resiliency, is, arranged beneath the bar 3 with one end of the latch bar. rivetedor other-wisesecured, asv at 9, to thella tter and its oppositeor free end pass. ing through and slightly. beyond, a trans; veuse opening or slot 10. f ormed in the flange onil-bl tment 7 and, terminatinga catch 11. The latch bar is furtherequ ipped with a releasing head or button 12" which works in. a corresponding openingor aperture 13 formed, in the bar 3 and normally extends slightlyabove the plane oftheo uter face thereof'fo r convenience in, engaging by the thumb of: the operator.

The iiree end of, the latch bar 8 is adapted to be held at certain times in releasing position by the recessed head of a locking. device 15, also. comprising a cylindrical rod or stem 16 mounted forcndwise or longitu dinal movement in. the bearing l%s. 17 formed on the inner face or, Wall; of: the flange or abutment 11 of the bar 3.

Disposed arouncLthe rodor. stern 16.01 the locking device is a coil expansion spring 13, the tendency of which is to retract or throw the locking devic into operative or looking position. One end, of said; coil sprin {as shown, boars against one of the bearin gglugs 1-7. while its opposite end bears against a, collar 19 secured on thenod or. stem The movable seetiouQ of the latch device is hingrcdly connected to a horizontal ofi'set arm 20 extending from llllQOllbQl; end, of 1c flange or abutment 7 of the bar 3 of he stantiomiry scctioiu for which purpose the outer wall '21 of the movable section may be formed with a pair of parallel ofi'sct ears 2i and 93. which straddle the arm 20 and through which and the latter passes the connecting screw 24. It wi l] be observed that the ear 23 is provided with! a projectin lip 25, the: outer fiat edge; its 26, f whic 1s adapted to. engage the, outer end of the rod or stem 16 of the locking device 15 when the door is swung nearly open, as illustrated in L1igs.2 and 5 of the drawings.

In practice, to open the door, the operator depresses the releasing head or button 12 by the thumb which discngages the catch 11 with the upper edge 28 of the slot 10 in the folding; section, 2, of the latch device. Wheii the free end of the latch bar 8 is thus depressed, the locking device 15 is caused to retract or spring back into operative or locking positiomin which c'ase'the recessed portion 29 of the head 14 engages the ad acent ,edgeof the latch bar 8 and holds the latter in releasing or inoperative position, as indicated in-Figsfi, until thefolding door is swung open to a sufiicient extent to bring the flat edge flfifof the lip into contact onengagement with the outer end of the stem 16 of the locking device 15, as indicated in Figs. 2'and'5,when a further movement ofthe' doer throws back or projects the lockiii'gflevice against'the action of the coil spring '18 into inoperativeposition, as indi- Gated in Fi'g. 4, thereby releasing the free end of the latch bar 8 and permitting it to spring back into operative or looking positioii. 'Underthese' conditions when the door is agai'iielosedthe catch 11 again engages the'upperedge 28 of the slot 10 in the folding's'ection 2, and locks the folding door in cldsed'positionpntil the releasing button 12 is lai'gainfdepi'essed by the operator. he'ohjection to most of the fixtures new on the'inarket is that'they require a pressure on both springs at the same time, and unless pressed far enough either one side or the other; 'it is impossible to fold them. By my invention the operator is enabled to press one spring in at a time, and it will stay in lintilfliedoor has been folded out when it willfatitomati'cally release the spring so that when"the 'door is again closed it will be locked i n'its' proper place. y From the foregoing description taken in connection with the rawings, it is thought that: the construction, operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood [Without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principles or sacrificing any ol the advantages of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

Ilaving described my invention, what I claim as new and desire t secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a latch device for folding doors, said latch device comprising stationary and hinged sections, a latch bar secured to the stationary section and eoi'ipcraling with the hinged section to lock the door when closed, manually operated means for throwing the latch bar into releasing or inoperative position, a locking device for holding said latch bar in releasing position and means for disengaging said locking device with said latch bar at a predetermined period, in the operation of opening said door.

2. In a latch device for folding doors, said i latch device comprising stationary and hinged sections, a latch bar secured to the stationary section and cooperating with the hinged section to lock the door when closed, manually operated means for throwing the latch bar into releasing or inoperative position, a spring controlled locking device for holding said latch bar in releasing position and means for disengaging said locking device "withsaid latch bar at a predetermined period in the operation of opening said door.

3. In a latch device for folding doors, said latch device comprising stationary and hinged sections, a latch bar secured to the stationary section and cooperating with the hinged section to lock the door when closed, manually operated means for throwing the latch bar into releasing or inoperative position, a' spring controlled locking device for holding said latch bar in releasing position, said locking device comprising a recessed head adapted to engage the latch bar and a rod or stem slidable on the hinged section and means on the hinged section adapted to engage said rod or stem and disengage the locking device with the latch bar at a predetermined period in the operation of opening the door.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JACOB S. KERN.

Witnesses CLARA H naucirr, J ACOB J. Simnrrnn,

00710! of thll patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0." 

